


Hold Me It's Crowded

by hibiscusandmistletoe



Series: The Harajuku AU [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Characters Playing Pokemon GO, Fashion AU, Fruit, Gender Related, Genderplay, M/M, Nonbinary Kozume Kenma, Pastels, Polyamory, Pre-Slash, Tokyo (City), angura kei, decora, fairy kei, harajuku au, he still uses he/him pronouns though, street fashion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-15 23:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9263546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiscusandmistletoe/pseuds/hibiscusandmistletoe
Summary: It starts at the dentist with a magazine. They’re dressed in multiple layers of pastels, at least two shirts, a shall, and an overcoat, shorts or maybe a skirt? Leggings, socks and boots. Tons of sparkly jewellery, a face mask with whiskers on it, and. Those eyes. Hinata feels his own eyes widen, his hands grip the magazine tighter and he brings it closer to his face, all at once like an involuntary spasm. He looks at the person’s face, what he can see of it. He takes in their build. He looks at their hair. It’s a pale teal colour but the person has roots just like.Kenma.Hinata looks back to the other person in the photo and realizes then that it can’t be anyone other than Kuroo. Hinata thinks about this the entire time his dentist has her hands in his mouth.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is probably softer than it sounds :)
> 
> There needs to be an official name for this kind of AU because it's not quite Pastels? Or fashion? But like it is fashion-related. The fic is just called Harajuku AU in my computer so I'm going to go with that. I've been wanting to write a fic like this since I found the small collection of FRUiTs magazines in my university's library. If you want to google some words to get better visuals, I highly recommend looking at a map of Harajuku and these following fashions:
> 
> Kenma - Fairy Kei  
> Kuroo - Angura Kei  
> Hinata - Decora

Hinata is at the dentist on a Monday morning when he sees it. He’s with Natsu and his mom but his mom is chatting with one of their neighbours, and Natsu is getting her teeth cleaned right now and Hinata is so incredibly bored. He doesn’t have access to the internet on his phone. Anyone he could possibly text is in class right now. He already counted the ceiling tiles. The floor tiles. The number of hairs on the receptionist’s balding head. He gives up. He gives in. Hinata drags his feet over to the table in the corner, ready to read whatever nabe broth recipes or weekly drama recaps he known he’ll find there in the drab magazines. He shifts them around, trying to pick between primarily beige and light blue covers when he spots a flash of bright pink. He pulls it out.

An issue of FRUiTS.

The cover is bright and cheerful and it seems interesting enough. Hinata brings it with him and sits down next to his mother again. He flips through it once, quickly, to see what it’s about. It’s mostly pictures. They look like normal people, but cooler. Hinata stops on a particularly colourful page. A tall guy is wearing lime green overalls, a yellow rain hat, and really cool sneakers. Hinata is a little bit jealous, to be honest. He reads the little blurb under the picture. Naoki is an engineering student who likes to listen to old techno music. The picture was taken in Tokyo. He keeps reading. Some people are more hardcore, some are colourful, some are soft, some dress really ugly but it’s on purpose so Hinata admires them. He flips the page.

The next page has two people posing together standing really close. There’s a tall boy dressed in really badass clothes, some leather, some straps, some spikes, a handful of piercings and really cool lipstick. His face is mostly blurred by the shadow of an umbrella in bright sunlight but his smile looks familiar. The person next to him is shorter and even if Hinata wanted to, he couldn’t tell what that person’s gender is. They’re dressed in multiple layers of pastels, at least two shirts, a shall, and an overcoat, shorts or maybe a skirt? Leggings, socks and boots. Tons of sparkly jewellery, a face mask with whiskers on it, and. Those eyes. Hinata feels his own eyes widen, his hands grip the magazine tighter and he brings it closer to his face, all at once like an involuntary spasm. He looks at the person’s face, what he can see of it. He takes in their build. He looks at their hair. It’s a pale teal colour but the person has roots just like.

Kenma.

Hinata looks back to the other person in the photo and realizes then that it can’t be anyone other than Kuroo, the tall middle blocker from Nekoma. He reads and rereads their little paragraphs, even the part where it just says where their clothes came from. They used fake names, but they’re really cute. They also say that they like hanging around Harajuku and playing Pokemon Go when they don’t have volleyball practice and now there really isn’t any doubt in Hinata’s mind that it’s them.

Hinata thinks about this the entire time his dentist has her hands in his mouth. He doesn’t want to leave the magazine behind but he can’t take it home with him either. He takes a picture of the page with his phone. He checks the publication date on the spine. It’s a recent issue. Hinata goes to school, and then to practice. They finish early enough that on his way home he bikes to the bookstore and gets himself a copy. Eventually Hinata ends up reading the rest of it. He’s really interested all of a sudden, in fashion and in all these well-dressed people. He mostly just admires them but sometimes he’s also envious of them. He likes all the colours, and the things he’d never think to wear. He wants to try new things. He wants to paint his nails and see a flash of colour when he spikes the ball.

He thinks about it all week. He thinks about other things too, like volleyball and, well, mostly volleyball. He texts with Kenma normally but secretly he’s planning. Sometimes in class he starts daydreaming of what it would be like, if he took a train to Tokyo without telling anyone. He could make his way to this Harajuku place and find Kenma and Kuroo while they’re hanging around looking cool. Would they pretend they don’t know him? Hinata doesn’t think so, but then again maybe this is a secret? Does their team know? It was pretty hard for him to recognize them, maybe that was on purpose? They’re so pretty. Kuroo looks like a shadow, like the type of person to point him in the right direction if he was the protagonist of a fantasy adventure manga. Kenma looks. Ethereal. Like if they stood across the street from each other and it was raining, Hinata could blink and he would be gone and Hinata could spend the rest of his life trying to see him again.

Usually when he’s thinking those kinds of thoughts, the teacher calls on him in class.

“Hey, mom?” He’s been thinking about this way too much. He’s getting antsy. “Could I go to Tokyo?”

“Again? You mean with the volleyball club?”

“Not exactly…” He takes a breath. “I mean. Alone.” His mom looks up from the vegetables she’s chopping. She pauses for a moment, then starts chopping again.

“You would be meeting friends though, right?”

“Yeah! Yeah, I want to go surprise some friends!” Then he adds to try and reassure his mom. “Friends that I met at the training camp this summer!”

“…I think that would be okay, then. Let’s ask your dad together when he comes home, okay?”

Hinata is beaming. 

His dad is surprisingly agreeable. Hinata has some money saved up so they don’t have to worry about the ticket and he talks about all of Nekoma enough that they don’t ask to call anyone’s parents. Hinata doesn’t want to miss practice so he waits until the weekend when the gym is being booked for a special event to make his escape. He knows he should call in advance, especially since he got an overnight roundtrip ticket, but he really wants it to be a surprise just like he’s been imagining. Hinata packs lightly, feeling suddenly self-conscious about all of his clothes. He thinks about modifying something he already owns but he doesn’t know what he’d do and he doesn’t want his parents to be mad about it later either. Finally he chooses to wear a plain black t- shirt and some jeans. If he can’t be super cool he’ll just have to keep it simple. Saturday morning he stuffs a change of underwear, socks, and a different t-shirt in a book bag with his toothbrush and wallet. He waves his mom and sister goodbye and rushes to the station.

He’s almost there when he hears a familiar voice.

“Shouyou!” He looks around. “Shouyou!!” He turns around.

“Nishinoya-sempai! Tanaka-sempai!” They seem to just be hanging out. They’re dressed in casual clothes and have shopping bags and pop cans in their hands. Hinata has never seen Tanaka with a beanie before but it suits him. Nishinoya is wearing the coolest jacket Hinata has ever seen, pictures in the magazine included. It has at least three different kinds of fabric, green corduroy, black leather and something else, and looks like a military-style jacket and an entire American marching band together. 

“There’s our favourite kohai!” They clap him on the back. “Where are you rushing off to?”

“Tokyo!” He beams.

“T-Tokyo?!” Tanaka chokes a little bit on his coke.

“Going to practice without us??” Noya slaps him on the back.

“No!” 

“Going to meet someone?”

“M-maybe!”

“Oh! Oh! Is it anyone we know?” Noya asks and then before Shouyou can answer. “Did you actually get to talk to any of the other managers at camp??”

“O-of course not! They were all too pretty, I couldn’t even look at any of them!” They clasp a hand of each of his shoulders.

“We understand.”

“It’s… Kenma. I’m going to go see Kenma. And Kuroo-san.”

“So it is Nekoma!”

“Take us with you!”

“No! I mean! I’m going alone, not for volleyball.”

“Ooooooh~”

“Ooooh?” Hinata purses his lips.

“Oooooooooh~” They confirm. He thinks about secrets but then he really wants to tell his sempai what he’s up to.

“Can you keep a secret?” He asks anyway.

“On my honour as a man!” Noya declares, looking proudly at the sky.

“Same!” Tanaka says with equal seriousness. 

Hinata pulls out his magazine from his bag and flips it to the page that’s starting to fray from being handled the most. They oooh and aaah accordingly and he explains his master plan while they walk him the rest of the way to the station. He finishes off where he was this morning, trying to pack, frowning at his shirt.

“Well you still look sharp!” Tanaka slaps his back.

“Yeah, black is classic!” Noya adds. “Here!” He takes his jacket off and Hinata doesn’t even get the chance to politely pretend like he can’t possibly accept it before Nishinoya has it on him. It fits perfectly. “Now you’re extra cool!” Noya ruffles his hair and Hinata leans into the touch. 

“Now go or you’ll be late!” Tanaka gives him a light push in the back. Hinata almost forgets his bag on the sidewalk but remembers to grab it and the next thing he knows he’s on the train. He sighs in relief and quickly picks a seat near the window. In the bullet train the landscape is going by too quickly for Hinata to catch most of it. Instead, he sends Kenma a text. 

[11:38] Hinata Shouyou: hey! What r u up to today?

Hinata doesn’t really have anything else to do. His phone still doesn’t have games or the internet, he forgot his homework home, and he didn’t have room in his bag for a volleyball. All he has is that same copy of FRUiTS that he’s been staring at all week. He pulls it out while waiting for Kenma's reply. He stares at them both again, at the little flickers of lavender powder around Kenma's eyes, the missing stud on the left strap of Kuroo’s boot. His phone chirps.

[11:42] Kozume Kenma: Out with Kuro today.

[11:42] Hinata Shouyou: sounds nice!

[11:49] Kozume Kenma: It’s not too warm out

Hinata really wants to talk more but he thinks he has enough clues to guess that his surprise will be successful. They’re together, outside, not playing volleyball. According to their interview they should be in Harajuku playing pokemon. Hinata pulls out a folded map of that area of Tokyo from between the pages of his magazine. The version on his computer looked a lot simpler than this one. He spends the rest of the train ride trying to orient himself on it. Hinata isn’t quite sure he’s even at the right stop when he gets off but there are Tokyo subways for him to connect to so he hops on the Chiyoda line and hopes for the best. It seems to be working out for him when a group of girls around his age all dressed up in pastel Lolita dresses step onto the subway car. He decides to follow them for a bit and hopefully keep up his lucky transit strike.

He gets off a few steps behind them and when they reach the surface he is relieved to see some of the landmarks from his map. It’s warmer here than it was in Miyagi but still cool enough that he doesn’t sweat in Nishinoya’s jacket. Hinata starts exploring. He’s on a mission but he still takes the time to look at as many things as possible. He’s surrounded by so many buildings and displays and cool people like in the magazine. It doesn’t take him a very long time to wander off from the main path. He walks around for what could be minutes or hours, looking at clothes, listening to all the different shop tunes, and trying not to get distracted by the food smells. He’s about to consult his map or maybe even text Kenma again and try to get a clue when he notices a nearby street sign. He can’t help the giggle that bubbles out from his lips.

“Cat Street?” He looks up and down the street before picking a side at random to go down. He’s only been walking for a minute when he hears them.

“Not if I get mine in first!”

“Hey—” 

“There!”

Hinata whips his head around, looking in all directions to find them. There are people everywhere and that wasn’t a problem before but he’s on a mission now. There’s a group of intimidatingly pretty boys all dresses in white, and a couple of girls that look like they’re made of patchwork, a tall guy in rubber, and a group of friends that make bell noises when they walk. They all glance in the same direction before giggling and going on with their day. Hinata wants to know what they’re all looking at but he can’t see. He ducks under someone’s arm and behind another group of people and flattens his back against a building next to a sculpture. Catching his breath, Hinata looks up, and that’s when he sees them.  
Kenma and Kuroo are leaning against the building right across the street from him. They’re both stunning. Kenma is easier to see, dressed in all pastels. He’s wearing an oversized colour-blocked hoodie that seems to be made of foam with layers of sheer material coming out of the bottom like an elegant jelly fish. He has lightly coloured jeans underneath and tall pure white platform shoes. His hair is lavender and full of tiny clips and his lips are periwinkle. Next to him, Kuroo looks like a wispy shadow in long black boots with a feathery skirt and a long black coat. He’s wearing several piercings that can’t be real and sporting really nice eyeliner. They both have their phones out. Hinata can’t hear what they’re saying anymore but they look pretty competitive. Most people walking by turn to look at them on their way. A few stop. Two older girls elbow each other like they should approach them but neither of them can do it. Hinata isn’t sure how long he stands there just looking at them with tunnel vision and a tight heart.

“I’ll just have to boot you out.”

“Yeah, well, we’re not the only ones playing. Look, look, it’s already at level 5, good luck!” Kuroo cackles and Kenma looks up from his phone to glare at the statue that represents the gym he just helped Kuro take down, only to have it stolen from under his nose. Next to it is a shock of orange hair that reminds aptly him of—

“Shouyou…?”

Kenma's face quickly goes from a glare to a lightly stunned expression to something pleased. Kuroo looks at Kenma first before turning to look at where Hinata is standing. He instantly smiles.

“Chibi-chan!” Kuroo waves him over. A few people passing by between them turn to see if they’re being spoken to. Hinata gingerly weaves in between them to stand in front of his… friends? Hinata is definitely Kenma's friend. He would like to be Kuroo’s friend as well. It’s hard to think of friendship when they both look like that though. They’re more like idols to be admired. Hinata can’t help the blush that spreads across his cheeks. 

“H-hi!”

“What are you doing all the way out here, punk?” Kuroo ruffles his hair and even though it’s a new touch it feels familiar, like they’ve always done this. Kuroo catches himself when he notices Kenma looking at him, but he completes the motion anyway. “Nice jacket!” Hinata preens. It’s hurting his neck a little bit, how tall he and Kenma are right now, but they look even more other-worldly.

“Thank you! Nishinoya-sempai lent it to me this morning when I ran into him and Tanaka-sempai on the way to the train station.” 

“It’s really cool.” Kenma gives him a small smile.

“So,” Kuroo looms over him but it’s not uncomfortable or scary, it almost feels protective? “Can we take you anywhere or are you here on purpose?” Truly like the helpful character in a fantasy manga.

“On purpose! I was… I was trying to find you two.” Hinata didn’t expect to be so flustered to announce his intentions, but he can’t quite meet their eyes. 

“We’re happy you did.” Kenma reassures him. 

“How did you find us? It’s pretty impressive, I mean, I was there when Kenma was texting you back, he didn’t exactly send you directions.”

“I guessed! There was just enough information in your interview, so…”

“Interview?” Kenma peers down at him.

“Yeah, the one in the magazine…” Hinata sets his book bag on the floor so he can fish out the magazine again. “This one!” The magazine opens itself on the right page and Hinata tries to not be embarrassed about it.

“Oh! They did publish us! Kenma, look!” Kuroo is grinning. Kenma has his face covered in his hand.

“I don’t know why I agreed to that…”

“You both look really cool!” Hinata blurts out.

“Thank you, chibi-chan!” Kuroo is grinning again and Hinata can’t help but feel proud that it’s because of him. “So what do you intend to do, now that you found us? We can hang out if you want, what team are you on?”

“Huh?” Hinata is puzzled but then he sees that Kuroo is waving his phone around. “Oh, no team yet, my phone is too old to play.”

“Well that’s okay, we could just walk around.” Kenma nods. Kuroo turns to him. “No stealing back my gym while I’m not looking though.” Kenma looks away.

They walk around Harajuku for a while, actually going into some of the stores and tasting some of the street food. Sometimes Kenma and Kuroo get stopped to take pictures, never for magazines, but Hinata can see how that would have seemed so normal that they didn’t even know they had made it in. There’s so much to see, it’s kind of dizzying. They almost lose him once, but they make sure to stand on either side of him at all times after that so it’s worth it. When they walk through an especially small, crowded street, they both take his hand. Kuroo lets go later to point at something, but Kenma keeps his hand in his for at least twenty minutes. They stop near a bridge where there are lots of people dressed more eccentrically taking photos. Kuroo takes one of his piercings off and places it on Hinata’s face.

“Nice! It’s too bad you’re only here for the day, if we had the time we could take you back home and dress you up too.”

“Well, actually…” Hinata wrings his hands. “I took a round-trip ticket, I only leave tomorrow.” Kenma and Kuroo look at each other. To the two people there who know him, Kenma looks like he’s about to burst with enthusiasm. Kuroo looks similar. 

“That’s great!” Kuroo touches his shoulder and Hinata feels himself flush with relief and other things.

“You can stay at my house, if you want.” Kenma offers.

“Thank you!”

They start heading back to the station. On their way, Kenma suggests that Shouyou should look at outfits in the displays and point out what he likes so that they have a better idea of how to dress him when they get home. He looks at people too, and can’t help but blurt out a few compliments to people passing by. A few smile back, one of them likes his jacket. The weather takes a turn for the warmer so they stop in a bubble tea shop to cool down.

“Kenma, you should get the taro one to match your hair!”

“Okay.” Kenma does and Hinata takes a picture of him on his phone, then a picture of Kenma and Kuroo together, and then a crooked one of the three of them. 

They get on the subway and press close to each other. Hinata can’t reach the bar so he holds on to Kuroo and Kenma until there’s enough room that they can all sit down. The train empties out of strangely dressed people the further out of the city center they get until they’re the only ones left. Kenma seems less and less comfortable with each person that looks at him. He takes off his puffy hoodie and holds on to it on his lap. Hinata squeezes his hand and smiles. Kenma smiles back. They chat about Miyagi and his sister and homework and Kuroo’s college prep classes until their stop. 

“Let’s stop by my house first,” Kuroo points up the street. “I want to get that skirt, you know the one. Oh! And practice clothes!”

“Practice clothes?” Hinata can’t help the excitement in his voice.

“We have practice tomorrow morning.” Kenma says with not-quite-distaste. “I forgot.”

“Can I come?”

“Yeah!” Kuroo is quick to agree.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Kuroo.” Kenma sounds genuinely concerned. 

“It’s okay, I’m captain. Besides,” He smirks at Hinata. “It’ll be good practice for us, too.”

“Woohoo!”

It turns out that the translucent fabric in Kenma's outfit belongs to a sleeveless sundress. His shoulders glow on the way to Kuroo’s house. When they get there, Kenma looks like he’s just going to wait outside, but then he and Kuroo remember that Hinata has never been here before. They go in. Kuroo’s parents aren’t home. Hinata has a hard time not laughing when Kuroo and Kenma have to take their elaborate shoes off. He holds Kenma's hand when he steps off of his platforms. They go up to Kuroo’s room which has more sunlight than Hinata was expecting for some reason. The walls are a mix of his interests, volleyball teams hanging out with jrock groups and a few pictures of Nekoma and Kenma. Kuroo slides his closet open and a few things fall out. He digs through the bottom until he pulls out a skirt. It’s fairly simple, black and short and pleated with little chains all around. Hinata falls in love a little bit. Kuroo hands it to him.

“I ordered it online a few months ago but it’s too small for me. You should try it on,” He smiles.

“Woah! Cool, thank you!” Hinata doesn’t really think about it. They’ve all changed in front of each other at the training camp and most of his shyness from earlier has eroded away. He quickly pulls his jeans off and hops into the skirt. He’s wearing boxer briefs so he has to hike up the hems a little bit around his thighs but the result in Kuroo’s long mirror is definitely satisfying. “…Wow…”

“You look really nice, Shouyou.” Kenma says. Kuroo nods approvingly. 

“Fits like a glove.”

“Thank you,” Hinata says in a small voice, still captivated by his own reflection. 

“Here,” Kenma picks up Hinata’s pants from Kuroo’s bedroom floor and gently folds them into Hinata’s bag. “You should wear it to my house and see how you feel. It’s only a block away.” Hinata nods brightly. Kuroo quickly packs an overnight bag, having silently invited himself over to sleep at someone during the afternoon. In it he also throws several pieces of clothing for their outing tomorrow. On the way out, he wears easier shoes and Kenma grumbles at having to put his platforms back on. Kuroo flicks one of his piercings at him. On the walk over, Hinata can’t think of anything else but the feeling of the wind on his legs. He giggles when a breeze tries to pick up the hem of his new skirt. Kuroo and Kenma laugh with him and wait patiently for him to catch up to them.

When they get to Kenma's house his parents aren’t home either. They stop in the kitchen for a snack. Upstairs, the walls of his room are bare except for a few pieces of clothing and his school uniform. Every shelf is filled with books, mostly manga and light novels, a few textbooks. His room itself is the same size and has the same layout as Kuroo’s and Hinata realizes that the rest of it is probably the same as well. Kuroo immediately takes off his coat and plops down on Kenma's bed, tugging on Hinata to do the same. Kenma hangs his hoodie on a hanger on his wall and with a few clicks of his computer mouse, starts a quiet playlist in the background. 

“So,” Kenma moves toward his closet. “What were some of your favourite looks today?”

Hinata starts talking about all the colourful things he saw and Kenma starts picking out the patterns. Bold colours, crop tops, unusual detailing, more feminine pieces. He digs through his closet to find things that match. He’s more into pastels so it’s a bit hard, but he ends up pulling out a sizeable pile of things for Hinata to try on. Occasionally, Kuroo makes suggestions. 

“Okay, I think that’s all I have.” Kenma says, plopping down on his computer chair.

“Wow, Kenma, that’s so much! Everything looks so cool!” Hinata can’t really contain his excitement and it’s contagious. He’s only tried one thing on so far, the skirt that he’s still wearing, but Kuroo and Kenma glowing like proud parents. “What should I try on first?”

Kuroo and Kenma take turns picking outfits for Hinata to try. Hinata enthusiastically models each one. They take pictures. Sometimes with a particularly successful coordination, they’ll accessorize it. In the background the soothing tunes go back and forth between cheerful and upbeat to smooth and calming, giving the time waves that makes it pass that much faster. They eventually make it through the pile of clothes almost four hours later. After they’re done taking pictures of his last outfit, Hinata collapses on the bed between Kenma and Kuroo. They lay down for what feels like hours but was barely even three songs. Eventually, Hinata’s stomach grumbles.

“It’s been dark out for a while now, hasn’t it?” Kuroo remarks nonchalantly. 

“We should probably have supper.” Kenma nods in Hinata’s periphery. He gets up first and the other two follow.

They make a pot of instant noodles on the stove but because Kuroo is there to nag Kenma, they end up dropping in real eggs and slices of cheese and the equivalent of Hinata’s head in vegetables. They sit in the living room and eat around the coffee table while watching variety shows. Hinata isn’t sure if he should ask, he thinks he probably shouldn’t, but he can’t help but be bothered—

“Kenma?”

“Hmm?” Kenma hums around a mouthful of noodles.

“Where are your parents?” 

There’s a small silence but it’s only because Kenma has food in his mouth. He swallows, looks at Kuroo, and smiles.

“Our parents are all abroad.” He finally says.

“Oh!”

“Yeah, they all work at the same company in different departments. When we were babies, some of their coworkers would cover for them and go on all the trips abroad so they could stay home and take care of us.”

“Now that we’re old enough to be alone without them for a while, they do the same for others.”

“They all knew each other before we moved in across the street.” Kuroo adds. They’re both smiling as they explain, so Hinata figures they must be okay with all of that. “Kenma!” Kuroo calls out across from Hinata. “We should sleep in the living room!”

“Sure.” A small smile plays on Kenma's lips.

They wash their dishes and go back to Kenma's room for a while. They upload all the pictures they took to Kenma's computer so they can look at them, and narrow it down to three outfits for Hinata to choose from. After much debate, he picks and they change into their pyjamas and head back to the living room. 

Kuroo pushes the coffee table against a wall while Kenma digs out three futons from the hall closet with Hinata’s help. Hinata notes that there’s a fourth one left and wonders if the Kozume household has lots of guests often. They set up their sleeping quarters and put on a movie. Hinata falls asleep in the middle futon half an hour into it. He’s very much asleep but he swears he can feel a hand in his hair sometimes, and another gently stroking his arm. At 2am he wakes up just enough to see Kenma's face lit up by his DS in the dark. He’s still stunning like this, makeup taken off, temporary dye washed out, small eye bags highlighted in soft blue light. Hinata rolls to his other side and gets to see the strange position Kuroo sleeps in. It feels like a privilege. He falls back asleep easily. 

The next morning is a bit chaotic. They have to clean up the living room, pack their practice clothes, Hinata has to borrow practice clothes, they quickly scarf down breakfast, and then pack their other sets of clothes for the afternoon, along with makeup and hair products, and other things that Hinata has never seen before. He makes sure to grab Nishinoya’s jacket on the way out, but it’s a close call. 

They practically run to the subway station. Once they get on, Hinata has to hold on to Kuroo and Kenma again, but he doesn’t even think about this time. It already feels natural. They walk to Nekoma’s gym and Hinata realizes he’s never been before. His excitement grows. His grip on Kuroo and Kenma tightens and they both smile at him. His heart feels like it’s swimming.

The gymnasium is huge, the school is surprisingly surrounded by greenery, and it’s just so great to see all of Nekoma again. Hinata has to wait outside at first while Kuroo talks to their coach and advisor. Kenma waits with him so that he doesn’t get nervous, but it doesn’t take very long for Kuroo to come back with a big smile on his face.

“Just as I suspected, they can’t resist getting to practice with you.” Kuroo slaps him on the back and Hinata positively beams. 

They play well and they play hard. They don’t go on a run that day in order to use their chance to practice with Hinata one on one to the fullest. Hinata gets to play with Kenma as his official setter, he plays with and then against Inuoka, and Lev, and Kuroo. Nekoma’s second and third years that he doesn’t know very well are all so nice and supportive and help him with his receives. He mentions that he bikes up mountains every day and Kenma recoils a little bit and reconsiders the possibility of ever visiting Shouyou’s house. Lev laughs at him.

After practice, Kuroo, Kenma and Hinata gather in the bathroom. Kenma sits on the counter and starts setting up the makeup and hair stuff and nail polish and stickers he brought. He also hands Kuroo a little pouch filled with fake piercings. Hinata ooohs and aaahs when he starts putting them on. He’s about to pick a nail colour when they’re joined by Inuoka and Fukunaga. 

“Can we get our nails done too?” Inuoka beams. Fukunaga smiles behind him.

Kenma nods and it becomes a bit of a party. Hinata has first dibs and picks a colour that changes depending on the angle, with a top coat of sparkles. Inuoka decides to get the same thing but only on his indexes so Kenma does both boys at once. Fukunaga picks a deep metallic green, Kuroo gets touch ups done, and Kenma fixes little stickers to his pinkies, and then everybody else’s pinkies. Fukunaga and Inuoka decide to stay until the other three are ready so they can see the full transformation. Hinata chats with them not without some difficulty while Kenma does his makeup. Kuroo disappears to go change and some of Kenma's spray-on dye gets on Inuoka. He ends up spraying all of his tips pink instead of rinsing it out. The rest of the team filters in and out, stopping by to chat too. Hinata is pleased with how supportive everyone is, they all seem really used to it and accepting. It brings a warmth to his chest and a huge grin to his face. He’s always had a good feeling about all of Nekoma, not just Kenma and Inuoka, but it’s still a relief to see his friends in a supportive environment. 

Once Hinata’s nails and face are fully dry, he grabs his bag and heads to one of the stalls to change. He passes by Kuroo on his way, a blur of black and the sounds of bells. From the stall he can hear Inuoka’s reaction and Kenma's noise of approval. He changes as quickly as possible, excitement building.

“Wow, Shouyou!!” Inuoka is the first one to see him. 

Hinata feels so good. He’s wearing Kuroo’s skirt—his skirt now—a bright vinyl sleeveless top, tights, thigh highs, and legwarmers all colourfully patterned, the most vivid of Kenma's shoes with little beginner platforms, armfuls of bracelets, enough hairclips for a full preschool class, lime green eye shadow and tasteful lip gloss. He does a spin. And another. Fukunaga is the first to approach him. He asks a silent question with his expressive wide eyes and Hinata doesn’t really know what he’s asking but he nods anyway. Fukunaga feels the material of his shirt and grins before taking a step back. Hinata looks to where Kuroo and Kenma are standing, supplies all packed up. His breath gets caught in his chest.

They’re smiling at him so widely. He’s seen them smile before, he’s seen them smile today, and the day before, but the way they’re looking at him now is something else. Shouyou feels seen and supported and loved.

They open up their arms to him and he leaps into them. He doesn’t think about what it means for them to initiate contact, especially Kenma. Hinata is so overwhelmed by the sweet smell of all of their products, the small spaces where skin touches skin, the brush of Kenma's hair and the cold of Kuroo’s metal bits. In the background Inuoka cheers and Fukunaga makes a small noise with his hands. 

When Hinata pulls back, he gushes about their looks and helps them carry the supplies back to their lockers and grabs his book bag with Nishinoya’s jacket folded carefully inside. They part ways with Inuoka and Fukunaga outside of the school but not before Fukunaga and Hinata exchange numbers at Inuoka’s insistence.

“Wait until you read the jokes he’ll send you!”

“I’ll look forward to them!”

They take the subway again, at a more leisurely pace this time, and Hinata doesn’t have time to grab onto Kuroo and Kenma, they’ve already got him. Now he gets the full experience of seeing the train cart gradually fill with people just as colourful as him, as light as Kenma, as dark as Kuroo. The sense of belonging is stronger now. 

It’s almost overwhelming when they step out of the station into the sea of colours. It’s a lot like the day before. Groups, usually matching, walking around, shopping, taking pictures, touching, so much touching. Entire groups of young people holding hands or looping their arms around each other. He hadn’t really noticed yesterday, too busy trying to make his way through everyone. It’s kind of exhilarating, and also a little bit intimidating. Hinata thinks maybe he’s had his allotted amount of physical contact from Nekoma today, although he wouldn’t mind more… He looks to Kenma and then Kuroo and can’t help the blush that takes over his face.

They wander for a bit. They walk down the main road and down a few side streets. They go into a record store and an accessory shop. Eventually they stop somewhere and have karaage for lunch. They get drinks and Hinata can’t help but giggle: all three straws have smears of colour on them. 

“Oh.” They laugh with him.

They head back out and the crowd has gotten thicker. Kuroo keeps one hand on Kenma's shoulder and the other around Hinata’s upper arm. At some point it slides down and they’re holding hands. Hinata looks at the ground, then straight ahead, then glances up at Kuroo’s face for clues. Is this intentional? Does Kuroo like him? Does Hinata like him back? Aren’t Kuroo and Kenma dating? Actually, are they? They never said. They’re probably straight. Having hobbies doesn’t mean anything about their orientation. Not everyone likes boys and girls the same like Hinata does. He shouldn’t assume. What if Kuroo likes him but Kenma likes Kuroo? Wouldn’t that be kind of heartbreaking? Hinata thinks he probably likes them both equally. He’s closer to Kenma although he’s seen more of Kuroo this weekend than he has all year so far. He gets flustered by them equally. What would he do if one of them confessed? He’d want to say yes, but if it would make things sad he probably shouldn’t. Hinata doesn’t know how long he stays strapped inside his head, his hand probably sweating inside of Kuroo’s broad hold. They’ve been walking around for a while when Kenma looks up from his phone. 

“Kuroo.” Hinata’s heart jumps. “We should take that gym, it’s Instinct.”

Hinata is startled out of his thoughts. He’s puzzled until Kenma turns his phone screen toward Kuroo and Hinata sees a glimpse of the Pokemon Go interface.

“Hmm…” Kuroo grins and fishes his phone out of somewhere in the void of his outfit. “Oh!” His other hand tightens around Hinata’s “Chibi-chan can’t play yet.”

“Oh,” Kenma turns toward Hinata. “You can use my phone, I’ll teach you how to play.”

They find an empty space against a building to lean against. Hinata is forced to let go of Kuroo’s hand, but for the next half hour he has Kenma's breath on the side of his face, making him lightheaded.

It feels right. Hinata feels like he’s living in the fantasy he’s been entertaining the whole week ever since he got his teeth cleaned. They take down the yellow team but Kuroo is quicker to place one of his Pokemon inside the structure. Hinata watches it turn red, but he doesn’t feel like he’s lost at all. He hands Kenma back his phone and their hands brush. Suddenly, he remembers.

“What time is it?”

“Um.” Kuroo looks at his phone. “At what time is your train?”

“4:45, I think?” Hinata fidgets.

“It’s about four.” Kenma announces. Hinata’s jaw goes slack.

“Oh no.” He squeaks out.

“What’s wrong, Shouyou? We still have time to take you to the station.” Kenma tries to reassure him.

“Yeah but…”

“What’s up?” Kuroo peers down at him. “You have all the things you came with in your backpack.”

“Yeah, it’s just.” Hinata takes a deep breath. “We don’t have time to go back to your house and you lent me all these cool clothes and I won’t have the chance to return them and I’m really sorry and—”

“Shouyou.” Kenma's voice cuts through his string of words with a firm gentleness. “It’s okay.”

“Yeah, you can take the clothes to Miyagi, that’s fine!”

“You can keep at least half of them anyway, and we’ll just bring the rest back next time we visit.”

“You’ll come visit me?”

“Yeah, it’ll be fun!” Kuroo ruffles his hair.

“Well okay…” Hinata smiles just a little bit. On the way to the station it’s Kenma that holds his hand this time.

He doesn’t want to say goodbye. They take the subway one last time to the shinkansen station. They’re barely on time so he doesn’t have the chance to linger. Hinata looks at them. Tall, dependable Kuroo dressed in all black with a thousand metallic edges, tan skin glistening with a light sheen of sweat, his crooked grin that feels in the moment like it’s for Hinata alone. Kenma next to him in the cutest crop top he’s ever seen, bare midriff curving into hips just wide enough to support the weight of a large jacket and at least five belts around his waist. The pink in his hair makes his eyes stand out. They’ve been so kind to him all weekend. Hanging out with him, dressing him, practicing with him, teaching him things, chatting, eating together, sleeping next to each other. He feels so close to them. He doesn’t want to break that by returning home, but he knows he can’t stay.

“Thank you so much!” He says with a bow. They’re about to pull him back up by the shoulders but he straightens himself out. Hinata jumps up and quickly kisses Kenma on the cheek, then he spins around, pulls Kuroo with enough force that he just goes with it, and kisses him on the cheek as well. He pulls away and they’re both blushing. He’s blushing too. He can’t tell if that was a mistake or not. He hears the announcement for his train and then feels it rumble under his feet. Kuroo and Kenma look at each other.

“See you soon, Shouyou.” Kenma says. He leans in, and so does Kuroo, and they kiss either side of his face. 

“Now, go!” Kuroo pushes him lightly. “Text us when you get home!”

Hinata goes, and runs, and looks back three times and almost misses his train. He waves at them from the window until the train leaves, and immediately sends them at least three texts each.

Hinata gets a few looks on the train but no one says anything. He gets more with every stop, the further they get from Tokyo. He gets a whole bunch when he leaves the station, and two more on his walk home. Every time he smiles at them, and half the time the people smile back in surprise.

“I’m home!”

“Well hello there, stranger!” His dad grins at him in amusement. “Had fun in the big city?”

“Yeah!” He tells his dad about his trip, his friends, the sights, the sounds. It all tumbles out of his mouth in a rush of excitement. When it seems like he’s done, his dad claps him on the back and asks him to go get his sister so they can have supper.  
Natsu’s reaction is probably the best. She ooohs and aaahs and plays with his layered socks, pushing them down and pulling them up. She feels up his shirt kind of like Fukunaga did earlier, and asks to wear one of his hair clips. He manages to fit five on her head before she bats his hand away and runs to the dining room. His parents are happy, his sister is happy, and Hinata is positively ecstatic. He is disappointed to have to take everything off at the end of the day to take a bath, but his mom’s threats are enough that he wouldn’t dream of smearing anything on the pillowcases. 

The next day at practice, he still has his nail polish on. His spikes feel even more amazing than usual, and he swears he’s jumping higher.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!! Stay tuned for the next installment! Can you guess the important detail that was being hinted at?


End file.
